[WEB4LIB] Top Technology Trends: Your Thoughts?

[Kevin W Bishop]

-----Original Message-----

... The trends are those that affect or are important to
libraries (that's broad, no?). 

My initial list:

Blogs everywhere, for everything
RSS going mainstream
Flash drives ubiquitous
Storage getting cheaperncheaper
Cell phones with cameras 
Ergo, moblogging
Broadband picks up many more users
Wi-fi commonplace
The rise of the "citizen journalist"
-------------------------

If the tools that blogging journalists use to create and organize their
posts are important to libraries, such as the cell phone with camera in
moblogging, then I'd add txt msging as well.  

Also referred to as short messaging service (SMS), it has proven to be
critical in organizing dispersed groups of people.  For example, as I
witnessed this summer, organizers of protest demonstrations communicate
their status and the position and movement of police in order to keep
the protest alive.  While one reporter may be detained others press on
and continue to organize and relay events (take photos, upload, comment,
etc.).  Of course, in such an environment it's much easier to read text
than hear someone screaming into the phone.  

Personally, I couldn't get on w/o it.  SMS is great for sharing details
that help us make decisions, for reassuring one another we're still
"there", and for communicating w/others while not interrupting them as
much as a call would.  And depending on the volume of the beeps
depressing a key makes, it also largely avoids the "shush" factor.  

Just a thought.
-kb

___________________________
Kevin W. Bishop > bishopk at rpi.edu
Communication & Collaboration Technologies
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute > http://www.rpi.edu/
  RPInfo: http://www.rpi.edu/rpinfo/